Changes
by Antisocial Anarchist
Summary: After a great tragedy, Spike, Willow and Anya try to cope, then a new Slayer arrives in town . . . with a connection to one of the remaining Scoobies . . . .


Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Changes"  
  
"Chapter 1"  
  
Spike had come back to Sunnydale for the most stupid reason ever, but it all failed when he took up shelter in the newly-built Sunnydale High basement. He had started to hear voices and see things, hallucinations of Buffy, Drusilla, the Mayor, the Master and others. It was bizarre, and finally Buffy found him and took him out of there and had Xander take him in as a favor. Spike now frequented bars, brooding and silent. He never got drunk, just went out for time to think. He hadn't gone out since the whole fiasco with him supposedly killing and siring people. He was too scared to go out. Especially alone, so the only times he went out were when Buffy dropped by Xander's occasionally and offered to take Spike out for a walk or for a drink or for a few dances at the Bronze. Things between them had become ebtter. They were more friendly, and slowly growing towards the romanticness that he openly craved she that they both knew she inwardly craved, though she wouldn't admit it. That night, he was at the movie theater with Buffy, watching some movie she'd wanted to see. He had paid for it, so near the end, he slipped out for a smoke and just stayed outside till the film was finished. To his surprise, as Buffy and him headed away from the Sun Cinema and towards Spike's car, she held his hand, smiling up at him. She kissed his cheek once in the car and whispered "thank you" in his ear befored they drove to her house to drop her off.  
  
Dawn heard Spike pull up, and immediately acted like she had fallen asleep on the couch, only so she could probe Buffy for the details after Spike was gone. Dawnie heard them exchange words . . kind ones, and a few compliments from Buffy towards Spike . . . in which had obviously made him blush . . . she could hear it in his voice. Then she heard them kissing, then a soft "goodnight" to and from both, then the door shut quietly.  
  
"Ok, tell," Dawn demanded. "I want ALL the details. Was he a gentleman ? Was he well behaved ? Did he try to hurt you or others ? Did you guys make out ? Did you guys exchange a goodnight kiss ? ? ? ?" the Slayer's younger sister asked eagerly.  
  
"Dawnie, I'm tired, and all of that is none of your business. Goodnight. You have school tomorrow." Buffy headed up to her room and went to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.  
  
* * *  
  
4 WEEKS LATER  
  
Spike didn't get notified till that evening. Willow only came and told him because Buffy had told everyone that she was in love with him.SPike had ben going steady with Buffy for a few months now, but it had been a great relationship. When it had been Willow who burst into his crypt, he'd ben a bit scared and alot shocked. Usually Buffy only did that, so he immediately knew something was wrong. That, or Buffy had somehow gotten switched into Willow's body. When Willow insisted he get fully dressed - he was in only a pair of jeans - and come back to the Summer's home once finished, he felt fear rip through him. He had quickly dressed then drove over, noting how Xander's car wasn't aprked anywhere near the Summer's house. HE found that suspicious, but parked in the driveway, then walked into Buffy's house, finding Willow and Anya in the livingroom, Buffy, Dawn and Xander absent. He realized it must have something to do with the absent 3, so he sat in the chair facing the couch and took a deep breath, looking at Willow, Anya, then back at Willow, whom spoke first.  
  
"Spike, I don't know how to tell you this, so I am just going to come out and say it. While driving Buffy and Dawn to Sunnydale High this morning, the sun was shining in Xander's eye, and he didn't see the on- coming car, and he got into an accident-" Spike cut her off, standing.  
  
"Why are we 'ere then ? Shouldn't we be at the 'ospital . . . ?" he asked, looking from Anya to Willow.  
  
"No one survived, Spike." Was what he thought he heard Willow say, and since Willow started crying immediately afterwards, he knew it was true. Anya was already crying and had been since he came into the hosue. HE sat back down, numb, Willow's words echoing in his mind. No one survived, Spike. His eyes teared up, and he couldn't help it. He cried with them. He thought of Buffy's last words to him that night, as they made love. I'm pregnant, Spike. I don't know how, but I know it's your child.  
  
Willow wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her grey sweater, then looked up. "S-spike, the coroner . . . h-he said Buffy had a 3-month-old child in her . . . I'm so sorry . . . . " Willow got up and embraced Spike. He held onto Willow as he cried into her chest, feeling as though everything inside him was being torn apart. Anya got up and went for the upstairs bathroom, exclaiming she had to puke again.  
  
A few days later, Willow had a spell put on Spike so he would be able to attend the funeral for their 3 friends deceased. Spike was calm during the funeral . . . actually, he was basically like stone; Motionless, e- motionless and not at all with it, which was why WIllow went after him after the funeral, when he had promptly disappeared into the ruins of his crypt. When Willow found him, he was holding a dusty picture frame, its glass cracked and the frame broken by the crypt's collapse. Even still, Spike stared at the picture, oblivious to anything else. Willow came and knelt beside him, seeing the picture was of Spike & Buffy, taken just a few weeks ago, when Willow had used a spell to make him visible in photography.  
  
"She looks so beautiful . . . ." he murmured, before turning to Willow and pressing his face to her shoulder, crying.  
  
"Let it out, Spike . . . . let it out . . . ." While holding the sobbing vampire, it was then that reality hit Willow like a punch in the face.  
  
This time, she couldn't bring Buffy back, no matter what.  
  
End of Chapter 1 


End file.
